To the Top
by Nomonoke
Summary: [Ash/Misty] After years of not seeing him, Misty gets the news that Ash is battling the Kanto league for the championship title. She watches the match against her better judgement, but maybe it won't turn out so bad. [One-Shot]


Misty knew he was competing. _Of course_ he was.

But she had intentionally kept herself from watching the league battles, not wanting to see her childhood crush again. He might have already lost the league as far as she knew, and it's not like she _cared_. They hadn't even spoken in years! To her, it was obvious that if he didn't care to keep in touch, he probably didn't care much about her.

She was getting ready to close the gym for the night when few youngsters walked through the front doors.

"Sorry, boys, I'm closing the gym for the night." A chorus of 'awww' followed, as the boys looked defeated.

"But I really wanted to battle! I just got finished watching the latest league match, so I'm hyped to start getting my badges!" Misty smiled at him.

Before she could respond, one of the other boys started talking "Yeah, I can't believe Ash Ketchum is going to fight the champion! He uses a lot un-evolved Pokémon, too! I never knew they could be so strong!"

The boys continued chatting about their favorite parts of the battle, but Misty was only barely paying attention. _He actually had a chance._ she thought, her eyes widening.

"Alright boys, I really need to close shop!" She said loudly and too quickly. The boys looked confused, but agreed and walked out. Misty locked the door behind them. She turned and her back met the door before she slid down to the ground.

"I... can't believe it. He actually has a chance!" She squealed happily, her memories flowing back. All the training, the hardships, the previous league match losses. He was one of her best friends, and his dream could be a reality! Her annoyance about him not contacting her slowly dissipated, replaced by genuine excitement for her friend.

But could she even bring herself to watch it? What if he lost?

She sprang up to her feet, running toward the phone hanging on the wall. She picked up the receiver and punched in a number from memory. It rang a few times before a familiar voice answered.

"Brock" she started, smiling at him over the video. "Would you be interested in coming over to watch the Championship match?"

The older trainer grinned. "I was already planning to show up."

000000

They had never been more enthralled watching a battle.

And it seemed those in the stadium agreed. The spectators were so quiet; you could so clearly hear sound of the two trainers yelling out commands, their Pokemon responding with explosive moves.

It was down to Pikachu, of course, versus the most powerful Dragonite they had ever seen.

Misty and Brock were on the edge of their seat, hardly moving, their practically unblinking eyes glued to the screen.

Then it happened.

After a particularly strong attack from the Dragonite, Ash grinned, the camera zooming in on him. He lifted up his left arm, and something gleamed on his wrist.

The commentators had no idea what was happening. It was obvious at that moment that Ash had learned something abroad that the Kanto region was unequipped for. He and Pikachu moved in perfect sync, creating so much electric charge that it was blinding. The most powerful attack they had ever seen made contact with the Dragonite.

Waiting for the dust to settle, Misty rose to her feet, clutching her hands in front of her heart.

The judge yelled out words that she didn't even need to hear. The entire stadium erupted into cheers so loud it made her ears ring. Tears welled up in her eyes, and Brock stood up to envelop her in a hug, laughing as he spun her around.

Her mind finally caught up with what was going on. A wide grin spread across her face and she laughed with Brock, tears streaming down her face.

"He made it."

000000

They were getting prepared to watch the interview before the final ceremony. It took quite a long time for the commentators to get to that point, as they were having issues calming down the crowd.

Misty was having a hard time calming down as well, there was so much excitement hanging in the air. She could still hardly wrap her mind around what happened.

Finally, Ash stood up on a platform, an interviewer by his side. The camera panned to him, and Misty's breath caught in her throat. He was... quite a lot different. His boyish charm was still obviously there, but he was taller, leaner, and had an air of experience around him. Misty found herself blushing as he smiled hugely and waved at the crowd.

"So, Mr. Ketchum!" the interviewer started, and there were a few hoots and hollers from the crowd. "Tell me how it feels! How did you get here?"

"Feels amazing! I tried getting through the league here a long time ago, and failed. But I kept trying, kept getting stronger, and I had people in my life that kept pushing me forward! I wouldn't be here without them!"

"Amazing! Is there a specific bit of advice that you got on your journey that changed you?"

"Not really," Ash said with a shrug, but before the interviewer could get to another question, he continued, "But there was a specific person that started it all."

Misty wasn't even aware that she was holding her breath. The interviewer pushed his microphone closer to Ash's face, begging him to continue.

"Well..." he said with a blush, rubbing the back of his neck. "At the start of my journey, I was hopeless. And this person... she was always so hard on me, but it's what I needed at that point. She was always there to remind me how far I'd come and how much farther I needed to go. She pushed me toward my goal more than anyone else ever could. She's my best friend."

She let out the breath she was holding, a blush spreading across her face. Brock chuckled softly at her, but she ignored him.

"Does this mystery girl have a name?" The interviewer asked.

Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder and said happily "Pikachu-Pi!"

Misty let out a breathy laugh as Pikachu said her 'name'. They didn't even know she was watching, but they had made it known to the whole world that she was still important to him. Her heart swelled and the blush on her face deepened.

The rest of the interview went on with no more special mentions, even though the interviewer did try to get more. They moved on to the crowning ceremony, which they watched in silence.

Brock leaned forward in his seat, looking at her knowingly. "He did it, Misty. And he'll never forget you."

Her heart skipped a beat as she smiled, more tears flowing. She pulled Brock into a hug and buried her face in his shoulder. She never knew she would be this happy knowing she helped the person she cared about the most make it to the top.


End file.
